voices on international law, policy, practice

Introducing Lisa Gormley

It’s our great pleasure today to introduce Lisa Gormley as an IntLawGrrls contributor. Lisa qualified as a solicitor in 1999 and was awarded an LLM with distinction in International Human Rights Law by the University of Essex in 2000. Between 2000 and 2014 she served as a legal adviser at Amnesty International’s International Secretariat, and provided legal advice to the organization during its Stop Violence against Women campaign. During this time, she wrote two documents on the obligation of the state to eradicate violence against women (2004) and on the definition of rape in international criminal law and human rights law. At the moment, she is an independent consultant, working on projects with the International Commission of Jurists, the Council of Europe and the University of Essex. Her ambition is to work with others on finding new ways of using women’s rights under international law as a campaigning method to transform stereotypes and promote women’s equality.

Lisa writes: “I would like to honour two foremothers who have shaped my thoughts and work. Firstly, Mary Wollstonecraft, who lived in the same neighbourhood in London where I live. It is a constant inspiration to walk where she walked. It is also possible to sit in the pews of the chapel where she worshipped, which have not changed since her days. Local activists are working to raise money for a permanent memorial statue for Mary Wollstonecraft, which IntLawGrrls might be interested in supporting or publicising among their networks. (See maryonthegreen.org/latestnews.shtml and maryonthegreen.org/project.shtml.)

“I would also like to honour the memory of Rhonda Copelon, whose writing on domestic violence and torture first opened my eyes to the creative possibilities of international human rights law, and who was incredibly generous and supportive when I was first finding my way in the law. Finally, if I may – I’d like to remember a forefather, Christopher Keith Hall, who was remembered on this blog, who worked tirelessly to ensure that women’s rights were included in Amnesty’s work on international criminal law, and was the most stringent and kind of mentors.”

Lisa’s first post will discuss a new binding standard on violence against women. Heartfelt welcome!